Fiber optic systems are often used to transmit information such as voice band and data across a network. Such systems include a light transmitting device (e.g., a laser) coupled to a first end of a fiber cable and a light receiving device (e.g., a photodetector) coupled to the other end of the cable; the light emitting and light receiving devices are collectively referred to as optoelectronic devices. In addition, the fiber optic system may also include an optical coupler to increase the efficiency of light transfer between an optoelectronic device and the fiber cable.
Various prior-art techniques and couplers have been developed to optically connect the fiber cable to an optoelectronic device. For example, couplers, including lenses to focus light emitted from a laser toward a fiber cable or from the cable toward a detector have been developed. Systems including such couplers generally require precise alignment of the optoelectronic device, the coupler, and the cable to achieve high-efficiency light transfer. The precision alignment techniques employed to form the systems are typically manual, time consuming and expensive. Thus, improved optical couplers, which do not require or require less manual alignment between various components of the fiber optic system are desired.
An additional problem associated with traditional optical couplers is that the couplers typically do not account for electrical connections between optoelectronic devices and associated integrated circuits (e.g., drivers and/or amplifiers) typically formed on a substrate such as a printed circuit board. The electrical connections between the optoelectronic devices and the integrated circuits are generally formed by attaching the optoelectric device to a flexible substrate, which is in turn attached to the printed circuit board. The flexible substrate allows the optoelectronic device to be manually aligned with the coupler to increase transmission efficiency. However, the use of the flexible substrate may add undesired cost to and require additional space for the fiber optic system. In addition, prior-art optical coupling schemes generally require separate packages for the optoelectronic device and the associated integrated circuit, which increases manufacturing costs, increase overall space requirements of the coupling system, and generally reduces the integrity of signals transmitted between the optoelectronic device and the integrated circuit. Accordingly, improved optical couplers and systems that facilitate electrical connection between an optoelectric device and a microelectronic device such as an integrated circuit within a single package scheme are desired.